


Honey, It's Been a Lovely Cruise

by fromthebeginningthen



Series: Winter Verse [3]
Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Autistic William Schofield, Beaches, Christmas Vacation, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28246263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromthebeginningthen/pseuds/fromthebeginningthen
Summary: Willow and Blake take a vacation to Hawaii to enjoy a warm Christmas.Blakefield Winter Wonderland 2020: Day 22, Warm Christmas
Relationships: Tom Blake/William Schofield
Series: Winter Verse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041426
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Walking In A Blakefield Wonderland





	Honey, It's Been a Lovely Cruise

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final installment in a three part series for sapphic Blakefield! I hope you enjoy it!

To say that the last couple weeks were hard on Willow would be an understatement. Things just kept getting worse for her because of the weather and no amount of time by the fireplace or comforting words seemed to help anymore. She had a couple meltdowns, more in this month than she’d had in an entire year, and some shutdowns to boot. 

She didn’t want to do anything more besides lay in bed under her weighted blanket, and at least her job as a teacher was on break now for the holidays. She wasn’t able to fully recover when she had to keep forcing herself to go into work.

Blake felt awful, and she complained about it to her brother, at a total loss of what to do. Joe could be really clever sometimes, and he came up with the idea that Blake should just take herself and Willow away from the weather if that was the problem.

“What do you mean?” Blake asked.

“Catch a plane and just go somewhere for a week. It’ll still be winter when you come back, but at least you two would be able to enjoy Christmas.” He’d shrugged then.

And that was where Blake’s plan started. She communicated it to both her own family as well as Willow’s sister and mother. Together, they all chipped in for money so Blake could plan out a vacation somewhere warm. She’d never be able to afford it otherwise, especially not this close to the holiday.

She settled on an island in Hawaii called Kauai, nicknamed “the Garden Island” because of its amazing plant life and scenery. Blake figured Willow would love that. 

Quickly, the tickets were purchased and Blake had several travel guide sites bookmarked on her laptop for the two of them to look through. All that was left, was to tell her.

Blake was practically bouncing on her feet as she waited for Willow to get changed after a shower. She was making dinner in their kitchen, bursting with excitement over the surprise. The longer she had to herself, the more she was confident Willow would enjoy the idea.

Finally, Willow came into the room, hair still wet and wrapped in a big fluffy robe. Blake beamed while looking at her and Willow crooked a brow, wondering what was up with her girlfriend.

“Okay, okay. I have a gift, and it’s sort of from both of our families but also it’s definitely my main present for you and you can say no because refunds exist but-”

“Blake,” Willow interrupted her. She walked close enough to take one of Blake’s hands and squeeze it in between her own. “What is it?”

Blake took a breath, realizing she’d been rambling a bit. “You know how this winter has been pretty brutal on you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, what if we spent Christmas in Hawaii instead? The temperature is still in the twenties this time of year and there’s a lot of things I think we’ll enjoy. And that way you’d actually be able to enjoy Christmas, because I don’t think you were going to here this year.”

Willow looked shocked, she needed a moment to process the information. She’d never been out of the country before, or thought about going somewhere so far away. But the idea appealed to her. It would be warm, yes, but it would also be quite romantic and relaxing. Something she craved and that they both deserved.

It was also quite spontaneous, and there was a lot of planning to do in a short period of time. This scared her, but if she just went around avoiding things that scared her, she would never leave the flat. She wouldn’t even have Blake. Sometimes the things one feared could be worth a lot.

So Willow finally smiled and said, “I love you.” It was only three words, but Blake understood what else it meant.  _ This is a good idea. I appreciate the gift. I appreciate you. _

Blake pulled her into an excited kiss, then started talking about all the activities she’d seen available for them. How there was so much to cover and they could only do so much in a week’s time.

Willow helped her finish cooking while listening to Blake ramble on. She was excited in her own quiet way and fell asleep that night while imagining all the different things they could do.

~~~

In what seemed like no time at all, the two of them made their way sleepy-eyed and out of a cab into Heathrow Airport. Luckily, they both already had passports because Willow once insisted that it was always best to be prepared, even if they had no plans. It was a mentality instilled in her by her mother.

The airport was packed, given that it was the weekend before Christmas. It was loud and chaotic, overwhelming even for neurotypical people. It was also both of their first times going through it, so they weren’t entirely sure what they were doing. The newness of it just made Willow more anxious on top of the sensory onslaught.

Willow winced as the sound of everyone talking made her ears pop painfully, and she resisted the urge to cover them with her hands. Instead, gripping Blake’s arm tightly in her free hand.

Blake frowned and asked if she wanted them to get special assistance, but Willow shook her head and pulled her sunglasses out of her backpack. It was the bag she was checking in as carry on, so it included some necessities, like the glasses.

The darkened lenses helped to mute at least one sensory aspect of the environment, and Willow did her best to ignore the strange looks she received from other people. She didn’t like the attention or judgment, and she wasn’t used to asking for help. It made her feel guilty, like she was taking away resources from people who needed it more than she did. The road to self-acceptance was hard, though Blake helped.

Blake followed the big signs to bag checking, and they made their way slowly through that line. After the third time a little kid near them shrieked with laughter and Willow covered her ears and glared covertly through the sunglasses, Blake made an executive decision to remove them from the situation.

She searched through Willow’s backpack until she found the lanyard covered in little sunflowers, then closed the pack and pressed it into Willow’s chest.

Willow instinctively grabbed it and tilted her head at Blake in confusion.

“Put on the damn lanyard. There’s no reason to put yourself through this.”

Blake wasn’t angry, but she cared a lot and sometimes it came off like frustration. Willow knew this, and she finally conceded. She’d never admit it, but she probably should have just done this from the start and saved themselves the hassle.

They left the line together and found an assistance desk, where Blake communicated what they actually needed. As a result, the rest of their time in the terminal went manageably until they made it onto their flight. 

They chose one with two stops rather than an overnight layover, that way the overall travel portion would be shorter. The rest of their time in airports was about as hectic as Heathrow and they made the choice to stop trying to calculate how long they’d been traveling. The math was too annoying given the numerous time zone changes.

Finally, exhausted but excited, they left Lihue Airport in Kauai and filled out paperwork to rent a car. Willow usually drove back home, so she was the only one of the two to get an international permit and signed the papers in her name.

They loaded the trunk with their shared suitcase and two carry on bags, then opened the doors to get inside. They realized their mistake as soon as Willow reached for a steering wheel that wasn’t in front of her. Confused, she glanced over and saw Blake giving the steering wheel a stare down.

In their distracted tiredness, they had forgotten one very important rule about American driving: everything was switched.

Willow started giggling, softly at first, then her laughter kept building until she was gasping for breath and a few stray tears escaped down her face. It was contagious, with Blake joining in shortly after she’d started. The whole situation was ridiculous and they felt drunk with sleep deprivation. It was probably the middle of the night back in London anyway, but the juxtaposition of their internal body clocks and the bright afternoon sun just sent them into another round of hysterics.

“I think,” Blake gasped out. “I think we need to switch sides.”

“Yes, I think we do.” Willow managed to say.

The corners of her eyes were still crinkled in mirth as the two of them got out and switched sides. Blake’s heart was full, seeing Willow laugh like this. She hadn’t seen it in at least a month. In that moment, she knew the entire trip was worth it, just for that. They could spend the rest of their time locked away in the hotel room and Blake wouldn’t feel like she missed out on anything.

Once their laughter settled down, Willow habituated to the change in road rules rather quickly. It still felt weird, but she didn’t feel like her driving skills were impeded by the change at all.

The drive to their hotel was blissfully short, given the size of the island. Everything they could see out the windows were beautiful. Green, like nothing they’d ever see in London, and lush mountains off in the distance. It would be great to explore the land, but not until tomorrow.

As soon as they made it to their room, Willow flopped down onto the bed and refused to move. Blake used the last of her energy to set their phones to charge and convince Willow to at least strip down to her underwear, so that the fresh sheets could be spared of general airport filth.

They fell asleep quickly, ready to recharge and see what the island had to offer.

~~~

The next day, they spent a couple hours developing an itinerary over breakfast. There was so much to do, but they had to narrow it down to what could realistically be accomplished over a few days. They settled on plans for hiking, paddleboarding, and a sea tour on a catamaran. Then between those, they’d be able to relax on the beach and visit local businesses.

Satisfied with their plans, they got ready for the day. Getting ready went by much quicker without having to prepare for blistering, frigid winds. Instead, they got to dress comfortably in lighter clothes and bathing suits.

They decided to keep it simple the first day, just paddleboarding and spending the day at the beach. The paddleboards were new to both of them, but Willow balanced quite easily on hers. Meanwhile, Blake was on her knees, board wobbling beneath her.

“Bend your knees when you stand up, like ice skating!” Willow called out to her, from where she was expertly paddling around in circles.

“I’m shit at that too!” Blake called back.

Willow laughed and took pity on her girlfriend. She paddled back around and guided her board next to Blake’s. She laid back down on her board to show Blake slowly, the steps needed to get vertical.

“Look, follow my lead, yeah?”

Blake blew a stray curl off her face then laid down to match Willow. Then Willow pushed herself up onto all fours, keeping the paddle against the board in one hand.

Blake copied the motion and smirked, “If you wanted me on my hands and knees, you could have just-”

Willow swiped a hand across the water, aiming a splash at Blake’s face. “Focus!”

Blake laughed and wiped her face with her arm. “Alright, alright.” Finally, her face settled into one of concentration.

“Okay, now.” Willow pushed again, until she was squatting, and then carefully stood upright. “Just keep your weight on the balls of your feet, so you don’t go tipping one way or the other. You could also try by putting one foot under you first, and then standing up with your hands?”

Blake bit her lip and stared hard at the board beneath her. Finally, she tried standing up slowly, keeping her knees slightly bent. This time it actually worked and she let out a shocked laugh. “I did it!”

Willow smiled, and was ready to begin paddling again when Blake suddenly lost her balance again. She flailed her arms out and grabbed the nearest object to try steadying herself, which just so happened to be Willow.

There was a moment when both of them wobbled precariously on the boards, before gravity took over and they fell into the water together. Both of them surfaced a moment later, laughter carrying across the waves.

~~~

Hiking in Kokee State Park was almost an all day affair. They had to dress warmer, since the mountains were colder than the rest of the island, but it was still much more comfortable than London’s winter. They even packed supplies to set up a little picnic for lunch near one of the lookout points.

They paused at each one, taking in the breathtaking views. It wasn’t comparable to anything they’d seen before in real life, and it was hypnotizing. It was hard to look away from the lush green mountain sides and bright blue ocean beyond. It was kind of hard to see where the horizon met the water, and it gave off the allusion of being encapsulated in their own Kauai shaped snow globe.

Along one of the trails, Blake spotted some wildflowers that were bright orange and yellow in color. It reminded her of their fireplace back home. Getting an idea, she plucked two of the blooms and motioned Willow over.

Curious, Willow stepped closer and Blake tucked one of the flowers into her hair, just above her left ear. She blushed under the attention, and busied herself with positioning the other flower in Blake’s hair as well.

“Gorgeous,” Blake said.

“They are.”

“Oh the flowers? Yeah, they’re alright too I guess.”

Willow shoved her, but it was gentle and she couldn’t hide the smile lighting up her face either. Blake loved that smile more than anything.

They progressed up the trail until they found a nice spot with a view that wasn’t going to block other people from getting to look out over the edge of a cliff side. It overlooked a waterfall which had a small rainbow glimmering near it as the sun’s light shone through the fall’s mist. It was perfect.

Blake set down a towel, to be used as a blanket, while Willow took out the food they packed. They sat down close enough to bump their arms together whenever they moved, and admired the view while they ate. They were silent as they sat there, content to let the sound of the falls and birds around them occupy the space.

All too soon, their meal was over and they packed their makeshift picnic away. But before turning around to hike back, Blake asked a fellow tourist to take a couple pictures of them.

They turned out amazing with the waterfall and turquoise of the sky in the background. The color seemed to deepen the blue of their own eyes in the picture.

~~~

On Christmas Day, they went for a sea tour on a catamaran. It was a type of boat where the hull had two sides, leaving the center open. Due to this, the front of the boat had a sort of netting spanning across the water that one could lay in. The rest of the boat was decorated in the Christmas spirit, with lights and tinsel garlands wrapped around the railings and cabin. There were other tourists on the boat with them, but occupancy was limited, so it wasn’t uncomfortably crowded. 

As the boat set off, Blake kept pulling Willow from one side to the other, to get different views of everything they passed. It was refreshing to see the view of the island from this new perspective.

About an hour into the trip, their captain made an announcement and slowed the boat to a stop. He directed everyone’s attention to a pod of whales that had just begun surfacing nearby.

“Holy shit!” Blake exclaimed.

Willow identified them as humpbacks once one of them breached the surface of the water, landing on its back with a huge splash. People on board were cheering at it.

The captain kept moving them closer whenever the pod swam further away. They were able to see a good number of breaches, and it was exciting. Every time one of them flopped out of the water, Blake would whoop and Willow would bounce on her feet.

Eventually, the boat carried on its tour, making its way towards a good snorkeling spot. The gear was included in their ticket price, so Willow and Blake grabbed some flippers and goggles along with the other tourists. They laughed at how the other looked in the gear before jumping in the water.

The water was clear, so they could see coral under them even without submerging themselves. They swam around, pointing things out to each other along the way. Some green coral here, some colorful fish there. The sea life was vibrant and it felt surreal to see it in person. These fish had only ever been previously seen to them in aquariums, and seeing them in their natural environment was something else entirely.

Willow spotted something small and bright that stood out against the seafloor. She took a deep breath and dived down, kicking hard against the extra buoyancy her body had in the saltwater as opposed to the indoor pools she’d swam in back home. She reached out and grabbed it carefully, recognizing it was some sort of conch shell from the shape. She flipped it over to peer at the underside, making sure that no creature was living in it, before making her way back to the surface.

Willow swam over to Blake, and got her attention by waving the shell at her underwater. Blake poked her head up and moved closer, treading water.

“It’s for you,” Willow said. “Merry Christmas.”

Blake smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, only realizing it wasn’t quite possible at the moment when their goggles connected with a clack. The two of them laughed and Blake thanked her for it.

That’s when they heard the captain calling everyone back to the boat.

With the scenery familiar now, Blake was satisfied to ride back sitting in one place. Unfortunately for Willow, that was at the very front of the boat. Blake was sitting on the bar that spanned the front, with the netting behind her and no safety rail to prevent a tumble into the water. The only thing to hold onto was a thin pole stretching diagonally across the space.

Willow was nervous and gripped the netting where she sat, worried Blake’s lack of balance was going to make a reappearance. “Blake.”

She waited until Blake turned her head back to pay attention. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

“It’s actually quite stable.”

Willow gave her a disbelieving stare.

“I’m serious,” the corners of her mouth tipped up in a smile. “Come here, love. I’ll show you.” She offered a hand back and beckoned Willow over with her fingers.

Willow finally gave in, deciding that at least if she were up there then she could grab Blake if she slipped. Willow crawled forward and hesitantly draped her legs over the edge as well, and pretended the small pole was a safety bar on a roller coaster.

Now that she was up there, she could see it did sort of feel like a coaster. The front followed the dips of the waves, but not so much that it felt like they would fall in. It was actually quite fun. She sighed as she relaxed a little, feeling her feet touch the water whenever the bow dipped particularly low after cresting a wave.

“See?” Blake was looking at her expectantly.

“Okay, you were right.” She rolled her eyes.

There was only about twenty minutes left in their trip and Blake had her arms draped over the pole, staring down into the water. Willow was looking off toward the horizon when Blake gasped beside her.

“What?” She placed a hand on Blake’s back, concerned for a moment that Blake was going to fall in. When she noticed Blake staring wide eyed at the water with her jaw dropped, she redirected her own gaze.

Amazingly, there was a school of fish swimming out from under the boat and into the waves ahead of them. But not just any fish. As the school reached the crest of a wave, they leapt out of the water and spread their fins as aquatic wings. It was a school of  _ flying _ fish, and it was passing just under their feet.

The fish kept up with the speed of the boat, staying just ahead for several minutes. They kept flying out of the water between waves and Willow and Blake got to watch this, awestruck. Their small bodies glinted silver in the sunlight, and flashed whenever they breached the surface before blending back into the ocean.

Willow and Blake found immense joy in the display and in sharing it with each other, and they couldn’t help but to express that in exuberant laughter. Willow also flapped her hands hard, excitement needing a physical escape. It felt like a once in a lifetime moment, and it really made their Christmas special.

Once the school of fish had left them, Blake turned to her girlfriend with a smile. “So...did I accomplish giving us a good Christmas?”

Willow pulled her in for a kiss, resting her hand on Blake’s cheek. They nuzzled their noses together, and didn’t pull away when Willow broke the kiss.

She said, “This was, without a doubt, the  _ best _ Christmas I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

Blake smiled, and leaned in for one more kiss. “Good.”

**Author's Note:**

> The fic was rated T for one (1) joke, worth it I think lmao! Also fun fact, while I've never been to Hawaii, that story about the catamaran and flying fish is something I experienced before and just stole it for this story. It was as movie-moment-esque as it sounds and it was really hard to try and capture that in words!
> 
> Title pulled from Lovely Cruise by Jimmy Buffett. (What, you think I'm gonna write a story set in Hawaii and NOT use Jimbo lyrics?)
> 
> Any comments and kudos are much appreciated! I hope everyone finds some type of joy in the holidays this year, you all really deserve it after the way 2020 has gone!


End file.
